“Before you can climb the mountain, you have to first learn to walk.”
Goal setting is a very dangerous proposition. We often put a great deal of time, energy, thought and effort in creating goals. Unfortunately, few people celebrate their accomplishment. We have all learned it is a lot easier to create a lofty goal than it is to achieve one.
Through my 100 Pedals journey, I have developed an entirely different perspective on goals and goals setting. As I celebrated the accomplishments of 100 Pedals, I would have been the first to declare that focus, commitment, and positive engagement would drive you to your goals.
Upon further reflection, I am not entirely certain it is that easy. Developing, executing, and achieving a goal is just not that simple. While those behaviors need to exist in the success formula, there is more to achieving a goal than simply writing it down, making a commitment, and positively focusing on its achievement.
Getting to any incredible outcome starts with the basics. Mental, emotional, and physical fitness is not something you simply start doing. It requires time, attention, and experience. It is from the foundation of previous successes that future, bigger accomplishments are defined and achieved.
Too many of us declare the big change we desire in our life without realizing how unprepared we are for such a journey. This does not mean that such outcomes are not possible. It merely means that we need to create a vision for our success and incrementally move forward towards it.
Last weekend I set an objective for my bike riding that pushed the limits for me. The quest was what I called the 100/100 Challenge. The challenge was to ride 100KM (62.1 miles) on Sunday. This would be further than any ride I had made. The other part of the challenge was to follow up on Monday with a 40 mile bike ride. This would give me a two-day total of 100 miles – hence, the 100/100 Challenge.
While it was physically challenging, I was prepared for it. My overall riding experience, my recent training routine, and my mini-challenges had prepared me for this mission. As a result, I had created a foundation that facilitated the accomplishment of this stretch goal.
The realization of any goal is less about focus, commitment, and energy than it is about preparation, consistency and vision. When it comes to achievement, here are the critical, fundamental steps necessary to take you to your defined objective:
- Simplicity: Keep your initial objective very simple. You are at the early stage in your success training. Make a commitment to start doing something every single day for 100 Days. Celebrate where that accomplishment takes you, discover what you learn about yourself, and explore what you would like to accomplish next.
- Vision: Focus on what your vision — the outcome of your achievement – looks and feels like. It is not crossing of the finish line, the weight loss, or more money that drives or inspires you. It is what accomplishment allows you to celebrate, feel or enjoy. That is the vision of your success. Create and capture a mental image of that with you wherever you go.
- Inspiration: Positive energy is contagious. Find joy and peace in your quest and your progress. Share what you are living and experiencing as a result of your accomplishment in positive terms. Your commitment is a celebration of change and opportunity. The words you use to describe, define, and share are how others will view it and hear it. Make your challenge fun, exciting, and adventurous and you will inspire and be inspired.
Next time you decide to burden yourself with a huge goal, stop. Instead, create a vision for your life, start out simple, and define how to begin living that vision every single day for the rest of your life. The outcome will be much more rewarding and is much closer than you realize.
Accomplishment is a wonderful experience. We achieve, we celebrate and then we move on. Unfortunately, the moving on part is not always easy. Now that we have realized a success, what’s next?
The other day I had a conversation with a person who was lamenting the fact that there a lot of people who “struggle to get the things they want in life.” No matter how hard they try, they simply don’t achieve their goals. And, there are others who seem to “effortlessly hit their goals and live their dreams.”
How many times have you half-jokingly said to someone, “I am trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up“?
I was reflecting this morning on a very productive and engaging conversation last week. I was reviewing and sharing 
There are hundreds of reasons to explain why we can’t accomplish something. We can be very creative about all the various scenarios preventing us from finishing what we start; or, stop us from even putting our efforts into gear. In reality, there is only one reason for our inability to engage – us!
I have often heard people talk about their “legacy.” And, have participated in numerous conversations tied to the question — ”what is your legacy?” Previously, I considered this a significant, poignant question. However, over time, my perspective on this has changed in a subtle, yet significant, way.
It was a year ago that I celebrated the accomplishment of my goal — 100 consecutive bicycle rides of one hour or longer. I began those rides in a quest to gain control and perspective in my life in the face of the pain, confusion and desperation with Brandon’s addiction related issues. While I had no idea what these rides would offer me in terms of a solution or outcome, I proceeded forward with the mindset that I had to do something.
Though I am a very socially outgoing and engaging person, I value my private and alone time. When it comes to certain activities, like working out, riding my bike, and even in travel, I really value the solitude of my personal, private, quiet space. Having been a serious competitive swimmer in high school and college, my competitive training always involved hours of laps in the pool — alone.
By nature, we are social creatures. Some of us are more social than others. Regardless of the level of our social proclivities, we are all naturally inclined to surround ourselves with family, friends, others that we simply feel safe and comfortable with. Because we have a tendency to leverage our social resources for security, advice, comfort, love, and affirmation, it is only natural for us to rely on others as we go through our challenges and our struggles.
leader to an iconic legacy.
Risk is that fear driven assessment that defines the potential outcome of our future actions before we engage. When life is going great, our tolerance for certain types of risk is very high – we don’t worry as much about failure because there is so much good going on around, recovery is likely. When life is going bad and there is no momentum our tolerance for risk is very low – after all, the last thing needed in our life right now is another problem.
When I look at this picture, the euphoria of accomplishment is everywhere. Anyone who has successfully crossed the finish line relating to a challenging goal, a tremendous accomplishment, or a difficult, rewarding journey knows what it is like to have the moment of reflective celebration and joy. It is the combination of a victorious exhale, a smile, and a inner feeling of peace, joy, and fulfillment. And, nothing replaces that inner peace that, while fleeting, goes with the success of accomplishment.
When I speak with people about my experiences, particularly in relation to the lessons learned in 100 Pedals, one of my biggest learning experiences was discovering how to clearly focus on what it is most important.
I have been sharing my thoughts on 100 Pedals for nearly ten months now. There are several messages and beliefs that I have consistently and, hopefully, clearly shared with you. The theme of my messages is that we all have been blessed with a unique set of gifts and talents that others are looking for and need. And, by leveraging, believing in, and sharing our gifts we are in a position to have a significant impact on our lives and the lives of others. While we may not yet clearly know or understand what those special skills and abilities are, we do have an obligation to try to discover what they are by getting connected and being engaged in doing something. For, it is in the action phase we will become more aware of what truly inspires and energizes us and will expose us to that which we were called to do.
A few weeks ago I had a great conversation with someone who asked me how I was able to turn the switch off in my head. Their challenge, primarily as it related to their work, was they found themselves constantly churning thoughts in their head about all the things they need to do, should do, have to do, etc. The result of all this perpetual, non-stop thought is exhaustion. They were trying to understand how I managed the challenges of running my business and all the pressures I face on a regular basis without letting this head chatter devour me.
Over the past few weeks, I have started to reflect on the lessons and experiences from this past year. I have learned a great, accomplished even more, and I have enjoyed sharing and celebrating everything about 100 Pedals. Originally, I believed that the lessons learned in 100 Pedals were all about accomplishment and goal setting, etc. And, in many cases the by product of these lessons has provided me a stronger platform from which I can establish and achieve incredible outcomes. However, there is more to the 100 Pedals experience that simply setting and achieving goals.
I recently read a 
The holiday season provides us with so many emotions. There is the joy and celebration of the season. Looking back at the year that was. Looking forward to the year that will be. Showing gratitude and love to friends and family for their part in our lives. Sharing gifts of various sorts and sizes to those in need or simply because.
The hustle and bustle of the Christmas season that certainly stresses out most people.
I have never been one to get caught up in all the New Year’s resolution hoopla. I have always embraced the desire to change, improve, amend or adjust my life at the time I am aware of it not simply because it is a new year. As such, I have generally avoided the discussion of any type of resolutions.
One of my bigger struggles is getting out of my own way. Many people struggle with the notion that their situation is what it is, they are limited in what they can and cannot do, and that they would love to change their life if only they could – except there is something that we just don’t understand that makes their situation unique. Truth is they have embraced their perception of reality to the point where the only thing in their way is them.
Sometimes we find ourselves standing at the starting line, not able to move because we are not sure this is the right thing to do. What inspired us to step up to the starting line in the first place – a desire for change, our displeasure with where we are, the need for a new direction – may not be enough to push us forward. For many of us there is that lingering doubt — is this a good idea, is this the answer, will this be the answer – that keeps us frozen in place in the hopes of a clear cut answer before we move forward. When it comes to life and change, there are no clear cut answers, no guarantees, and no easy actions.
Remember the last time you got lost? If you stopped to ask directions, you would likely find someone who knew how to direct you where to go from your location at that time.
When younger, I used to get quite a kick out of the hamster in the cage—not that I had one. One moment the hamster would be simply chilling around in his cage, taking the occasional drink from his water bottle. And the next, he would be on his wheel with all levels of energy. When the hamster would get going on that wheel, there was a lot of action and effort; that wheel would fly and the cage would even sometime buzz with the force. Even though he wasn’t really going anywhere, it certainly looked like he was trying his best to believe he was.
Last week I was sharing with a good friend the challenges I faced through Brandon’s behaviors, experiences, and journey. At one point she commented on my ability to stay focused and keep moving despite the painful distractions these events created. What I shared with her was one of the four powerful lessons of 100 Pedals – embracing responsibility. Despite what has happened or what I experience in my life, it is not my attitude that keeps me moving; but, my responsibility for making my unique gifts constantly available to others.
It seems like nothing is ever as fast and easy as we desire. And, when we do declare our frustration with the process, one of our friends will toss out the standard line “if it were easy anyone could do it.” Life’s journeys are designed to be challenging so we can appreciate two things about them: how difficult it was and all the amazing things we learned along the way. If life was as simple as we all would like it to be, we would not learn very much about ourselves under pressure and we wouldn’t benefit from the knowledge gained as it relates to the experience.
How many of you organize and manage your life through a to-do list or daily planner? There was a time when the people who organized, managed, and maintained a detailed list of tasks, responsibilities, and commitments really impressed me. I always felt so lost compared to the organizational skills of those folks…
